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August 20, 2008 
i’m going to start by saying that motorcycles, scooters, and the following way of life are not for everyone. but for those of you who might have been considering this route and/or have been intrigued by motorcycles (or scooters*!), read on.
4 and a half years ago, i gave up my car — a cute, used blue mazda miata — as i made the decision to live with and rely on only my motorcycle for transportation in order to simplify my life and to minimize expenses. i have not looked back.
for a little background: 8 years ago in my early-twenties, i finally had saved some extra money from my full-time job as a UNIX computer systems administrator to pay for: my motorcycle riding safety training class, my first brand new motorcycle, all kinds of motorcycle safety riding** gear, and motorcycle insurance. throughout most of college beforehand, i had relied on public transit of buses and trains, walking, and the kindness of friends and coworkers for transportation. this would be my first vehicle since the used car (a red pontiac firebird) my parents had bought for me in high school.
i bought a lime-green 2001 kawasaki ninja 250r /ex250 for $3-4k. i used that to go to work for a commute that varied over 4 years from 3 to 45 miles each way. a few years after i had purchased the ninja, i also bought a 2002 silver mazda miata /mx-5 for long distance traveling, which i sadly totaled a year later. i then purchased a replacement used 1999(?) blue miata which i sold to a good friend several months later. i decided i didn’t really need a car. i then purchased a 2003 silver suzuki sv650s motorcycle in 2005, and sold the ninja soon after.
deciding to rely only on my motorcycle for transportation was not necessarily an easy decision to make. i had to consider the following:
- am i willing to sacrifice the convenience of (grocery) shopping with a car?
- am i willing to sacrifice not being able to drive with friends (or family) for extra socializing opportunities, or to help them as needed with a car of my own?
- am i willing to find alternative (possibly inconvenient) modes of transport on days of suboptimal weather?
- am i willing to sacrifice overall comfort and convenience of wearing whatever i want for a given day, sacrificing vanity for safety (gear)?
- am i willing to accept the risks, the danger associated with riding?
here are some ways i was able to address the above concerns:
- signed up for and made use of a flexcar-zipcar account for those occasional hours when i preferred a car
- most all my friends (and family) had cars, and were happy to pick me up from train/BART /bus stations when i visited them
- i have convenient access to decent and many public transit systems
- i lived near a grocery store so that i could just walk two blocks and carry a few bags of groceries
- i was single and relatively healthy so i didn’t need to buy much for myself or take care of anyone else
- i bought saddlebags, tank bags, backpacks for various ways to carry on the motorcycle what i might in a car
- i bought riding raingear for bad weather, or carpooled or took public transit
- i did as much as I could to be as safe as possible by taking safety riding classes, regular training, regular riding, regular sleep and good nutrition, and conscious safety gear habits
- the fun factor from riding far outweighed the various inconveniences
so how have i been saving money by owning and riding only a motorcycle all these years?
- my insurance with progressive is about $100 cheaper
- my gas consumption is cheaper at 40-50 mpg
- my grocery shopping consumption is much lower as i must carefully select what i will bring home on my bike if riding
- i can park almost anywhere in a busy area, so that i minimize my chances of receiving parking tickets (save ~$25 couple times a year)
- i qualify for carpool to cross bridges and scoot on the freeway (save $4 daily)
- maintenance costs at the shop can be cheaper overall (a couple hundred dollars)
- there is much less of the bike to clean, thereby saving on cleaning products (variable amounts)
- saved on parking at my previous apartment complex by parking somewhere unobtrusive (under the stairs) and not in a paid garage space (saved $50 a month)
- employer does not need to pay for a spot for me within the garage or lot at work — instead, i park out of the way in the indoor garage by the bicycles
- save money on shopping for clothes, shoes, and other luxury items as i must be practical about what to carry on the bike ($ can be hundreds for me!)
- finally, i save on travel through discounts from the AMA on hotels and campsites (variable)
(certainly, there are additional pros (and cons), such as time saved (or lost) in various situations, but the focus here is primarily on the financial benefits of being a rider.)
if riding a motorcycle (or a scooter) seems like a viable option for you, sounds fun to you, and you are interested in saving money, i highly recommend riding! (if not, that’s ok too.)
not sure where to start? i would recommend taking the following steps, in order:
- join an online motorcycle forum, such as the bay area riders forum (BARF. yes, BARF!) in the bay area, CA for a bit of research about what bike might work best for you, what costs you would incur, etc.
- sign up for a motorcycle safety class for classroom and hands-on instruction on motorcycle riding (do not learn from a friend or family member!)
- talk to friends, family, and/or coworkers you know that ride for additional ideas and tips
- check out the resources at the American Motorcycle Association
as we say in moto speak among riders, ride safe!
* * *
does riding sound like it’s for you? if you are a rider already yourself, are there other financial benefits that you can think of that i’ve missed? any specific to your lifestyle?
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* note that scooters generally are not for riding on freeways as they tend to be < 250ccs. however, exceptions to this rule have been cropping up lately.
** in motorcycling, we generally say we ‘ride’ rather than ‘drive’ a motorcycle.
